Sound-reproducing machine.



0. H. NORTON.

SOUND REPRODUGING MACHINE.

v APPLIOAT ION FILED JUNE 24, 1908. S 950,024

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

| I I I l H I]! I II III IIIIIIIHHIIIIILI WITNESSES:

capability,

cnmns H1 NORTON, on NEW YonK, N. Y.-

SOUND-REPRODUQING, MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

liatentedlieb. 22, 1910.

Application am June 24, 19 o8.;.- S ez ia1,1to-.440,064,

To all whom it may come m:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. NoRToN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident oYf .liew York cit ,in the county of New certain. new and useful Improvements in Sound-Reproducing Machines, of which the following is a specification...

The invention relates to 1mprovements'in sound-reproducing machines, and it con-. sists in the novel needle or stylushereinafter described and claimed foruse in such ma: chines.

It is well known that the metal needles commonly employed insound-reproducing machines possess inherent defects in that" they wear on the records, createascratching noise which interferes with the proper reproduction of the sounds and lack the in large measure, of reproducing sounds in soft, distinct, modulated tones.' It is also well known that various attempts have been made to improve the needles and to remedy some of the. objections to them by the use of materialsother than metal in their construction; In the use of materials other than metal in the construction of the needles various other objections developed both in difliculties of manufacture and increased expense to the owners of sound-reproducing machines and otherwise.

The ob ect of my invention is to produce a needle or stylus for sound-reproducing machines which may be supplied a'tslight ex pense and which in use will eliminate the scratching noise caused by--metal needles, reduce to a minimum the wear on the records and materially improve the tone and" distinctness of the instrument, the sounds being soft or modulated and those representingvarious voices or-instruments being clearly differentiated one from the other.

I have discovered that by making the needle or stylus of hard or vulcanized rubber,-

I secure a very greatfimpro'vement in the general tone of the instrument and more istinct, accurate and natural reproductions of the sounds, and in addition obviate any rapid wearing out of the records or excessivees. The needle or st-y us expensefor nee of my invention 15, therefore, mtended'for l ying disk-records and and State 0 New York, have invented a hard or vulcanlzed rubber need her possesses the :qualities but lessens is formed of hard rubber. The needle may be either solid or hollow above its point, and I prefer the hollow hard rubber needle in respect of its efliciency anditone-qualities.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,.in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion "of. a sound-reproducing machine equip ed with e of my invention applied to the ordinary diskrecord employed in such machines; Fig. 2

is a. perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the needle, and Fig. 3 is a like view of the same needle shown as hollow above its pointed lower end portion.

In the drawings, 10 designates the reproducer-head of a sound-reproducing machine of known construction, 11 the usual needle or stylus-holderthereof, 12 the needle or stylus, and 13 a rotary disk-record.

My invention pertains 'to' the needle or stylus 12 which comprises a shank-portion 14 adapted to the holder 11 and. a pointed lower end portion 15 to engage the record 13. The needle or stylus "12 of my invention is made of hard or. vulcanized rubber, and preferably this needle is hollow above its lower pomted portion, although it may be solidthrou hout.

The needle 12 of hard or vulcanized rubroperty,- in connect on machine, of reproducwith the record an i especially distinct and ing the sounds in natural tones, without harshness and without undue wear on the records. The hard or vulcanized rubber needle of my invention lacks fibrous and gritty substances and is somewhat yielding or capable of flection or springlaction at its lower end, all of which its tone reproducingthe wear on therecords, which is a matter of considerable importance. The general results accomplished by my not 1y improves invention are that the tone-quality of the I instrument is greatly improved, that the needles may be su plied at small expense and that .the life 0 the records, ,due to the .reduction in wear by the needles, is mate rially increased. The absence of fibrous'and gritty matters in theneedle. and its formaion of hard rubber enables its eflic ent use 1n accurately and delicately follow ng the sinuous convolutions of the groove in the hard rubber for coaetion therewi th, said record, without danger of leavin the same needle above its lower pointed pprtiqn beor of excessive wear on the recor in hdllow. e v What I" claim as m inventign and desire igned at New .York city, in the county 5 to-'secureby Lettersatentg i': of New York; and-State of New York, this 15 1. A sound re roducing machine com ris- 23rd day of June A. D. 1908. ing ahead, 9. isk-record and a need e of v A CHARLES H. NORTON. hard rub ber for c0acti0n therewith. Witnesses:

A'soundre' roducingimachine compris- Rom. J. KEEGAN, io'mg a hegd, a 'isk -recor and a needle of E. C. BOEHME. 

